2016-2017-2018 Highlands Gran Fondo Team Champions (2nd, 1st, 3rd OA)

2017 Gran Fondo National Championship – Series Champion

2017-2018 Back-to-Back Gusher Eating World Champion

About Dan (written by justin)

Hey it’s Justin. Team owner here. I wanted to tell a story about Dan.

The date was May 5th, 2018. I was at the Turkey Hill Country Classic half marathon/10k/5k and cycling road race. Being the sender I am, I obviously over exerted myself and competed in both the half marathon AND the 5k in the morning, and came back to race the Cat 5 road race in the afternoon. Anyways, that’s beside the point.

True to my innate drive to mash watts and always be sending it, I sprinted right off the start line at the beginning of the road race, and was planning on riding flat out the entire time while the rest of the field fiddled with their thumbs and played chicken waiting for the sprint finish.

Well sure enough, after the first lap (4 laps total) who but Dan Montgomery himself bridges up from the peloton to be in the breakaway with me. He actually brought someone with him, but we dropped that guy real quick. He was a half sender.

Anyways, Dan and I tear THROUGH the Cat 4 race that had started ahead of ours, and put a beating on our own race that was way back there crackin’ yo mama jokes and eating bon-bons, probably. As we near the end of the race there were 3 large rolling hills. I figure now is my chance to drop Dan and cruise in for the victory. I bent my chainring going up the first hill but Dan was still there. My left crank arm fell off as I mashed up the second hill but Dan was still there. I snapped my chain going up the third hill and Dan is right next to me breathing through his nose. Needless to say he out sprinted me with ease after that and took home the gold.

And that’s the story of how a true sender was born while (we were both) sandbagging in a Cat 5 road race.

About Dan (written by Dan)

Years ago - 27 to be specific - an incredibly mediocre athlete with the mindset of a champion was born. I started swimming like any other early 90’s baby…my parents threw me in the deep end and hoped. After that didn’t work, they decided to put me in lessons. In just a few short weeks of swim lessons from a half-drunk 20-something year old, this young stud was able to flail in the 3 feet section and even go off the 1-meter spring board. Hop, skip, jump and take off…right onto the instructor’s neck. My first achievement, helping someone get worker’s comp.

Growing up I was a gym class hero (or try-hard as the kids say nowadays), a slightly above average swimmer, a decent trumpet player, a scholar, and an Eagle Scout. With that in mind, and an undecided career path, I opted to attend James Madison University, where the options were plentiful. I swam on JMU’s club team for four years (where I was known as the kid with the fastest reaction time), coached and swam with the Virginia Gators of Harrisonburg for 2 years, and then was a part of JMU’s triathlon team during my graduate year. I graduated from JMU in 2014 with a Master’s Degree in Health and Physical Education.

When I returned home after college, I had a litany of different positions. I was at the helm of Roxbury High School swim team for 3 seasons. I had a unique season as a J.V. Girls’ Soccer coach and an assistant swim coach at Chatham High School. I spent 3 seasons with the Randolph YMCA swim team. I’ve also been at the helm of the Mount Olive Pirates Swim Team since 2010. I won’t go into the details of each of these positions…but just know records were smashed, state champions were made, hearts were broken, I was voted Coach of the Millennium (read “Season”) by the Daily Record, and I felt like one of those Dads living vicariously through his children’s’ accomplishments.

Right so…Triathlon…With no real notable achievements, more cramps than a [redacted for political correctness], and a soul-crushing DNF, I decided it was time to take a break from Triathlon and focus solely on my cycling and job search.

With each year, the intensity ramped up, and with it the miles, the dollars, and the WATTBOMBZ. The types of racing I’ve done has changed from year to year. I’ve competed in Triathlons, Charity Rides, Gran Fondos, Road Races, Crits, Time Trials, Stage Races, and even Cyclocross. After one serious summer of racing though, I realized I missed the triathlon world and it’s time to come back! I’ve got my sights set on building the endurance back up and am hopeful to race IM Cozumel in 2019. In the meantime, you can catch your boy snagging KOMs all over NJ, leading out the sprinters on accident, and winning Gran Fondos because most people aren’t stupid enough to do them.

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